TV show description:
This historical thriller is based on the book Washington’s Spies by Alexander Rose and tells the story of America’s first spy ring. Set during the Revolutionary War, it revolves around a farmer who lives in British-occupied Long Island and who bands together with his childhood friends to form the Culper Ring. They’re an unlikely team of secret agents who not only went on to help George Washington turn the tide of the war but also gave birth to modern spycraft.

Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell) is the true face of the Revolutionary war. He’s a man who is at war with himself, torn between his ideals and his desires. A young farmer in an arranged marriage with a one-year-old son, Abe is the everyman who wanted to keep his head down and plow his field. Instead, he gets pulled deeper into the conflict against his will. Caught between loyalty to his Tory judge father and respect for childhood friends — Ben, Caleb, and Anna — who fight for the Patriot cause, Abe risks everything to fight for what he believes in — and to protect what he loves.

Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich) is a Continental Dragoon in Washington’s army. A fearless soldier and man of action, Ben is a natural born leader and the rock that keeps Abe and his friends together. Freshly appointed to a new intelligence detail, he’s the direct line from General Washington to the nascent spy ring he oversees. A Yale-educated cavalryman. he’s a passionate believer in the Patriot cause. However, even Ben’s unshakable resolve will be tested by the spy game.

Caleb Brewster (Daniel Henshall) is the best of the best at spying. Constantly at risk as a courier, he’s a man who relishes action and close scrapes. Bored with his childhood farm life in Setauket, Caleb jumped at the chance to see the world. At nineteen, he signed on to a whaleboat crew headed for Greenland where he braved icy waters and treacherous conditions in the hunt for sperm whales. Always the thrill-seeker, he’s faced down Mother Nature in all her glory and fury. As a result, the British do not intimidate him. Actually, few things do.

Anna Strong (Heather Lind) is a smart, headstrong woman. Three years ago, Anna was engaged to marry Abe until the engagement was broken off by their respective fathers. Her father is a liberal Whig and Abe’s father is a staunch Tory. As the British marched into town and drove her family out, Anna married Selah Strong, a known Whig, in the wake of her broken engagement. Since then, whispers have implicated Anna as a Patriot sympathizer. Despite being married to others, the connection between Abe and Anna remains strong and perilous circumstances of the war draw them closer together.

The local magistrate of Setauket, Richard Woodhull (Kevin McNally) is Abe’s father and protector and the moral center of their town. A long-time widower who lost his oldest son in the war, he is devoted to the only son he has left. Richard appears to be a die-hard Tory Loyalist, but in truth he believes it impossible for the rebellion to succeed against the might of the British Army. Like any good judge, he’s weighed the facts and wants to be on the right side when the war is over.

Commander of the garrison in Setauket, Major Hewlett (Burn Gorman) is a proud man who believes in the superiority his social position affords him. While stationed in Long Island, he’s become friends with Judge Richard Woodhull and acts as a constant figure of law, order and authority in town. Stoked by pride and tweaked by paranoia, Hewlett is a man of flawed vision: often unable to see things happening right under his nose.

John Graves Simcoe (Samuel Roukin) is a recently promoted soldier in His Majesty’s Army and serves under Major Hewlett’s command in Setauket. A born attack dog, he harbors an intense dislike for most colonists, especially Abe, and holds a deep, menacing infatuation with Anna. A skilled fighter and true believer in the British cause, Simcoe is as crafty as he is dangerous.

John André (JJ Feiid) is the head of British Intelligence and bases his operations out of New York. Far more versed in counter espionage tactics than his counterpart, Ben Tallmadge, he is experienced and cunning in his ability to take down targets. Known for his keen eye for human weakness, André employs a variety of methods to turn sources and isn’t above using sex, money and the promise of power to get his man.

Young in features but middle-aged in temperament, Mary Woodhull (Meegan Warner) comes from a Tory family based out of Suffolk County. Originally, she was betrothed to marry Abe’s brother Thomas, but he died soon after their first and only meeting. A new arrangement was proposed by Richard Woodhull and after some careful coaxing, Abe married her in his brother’s stead. Her life revolves around Abe and their son, Thomas. She counts on Abe to provide for and protect them.

The mercenary leader of the Queen’s Rangers, Robert Rogers (Angus MacFadyen) fought alongside Washington in the French and Indian War when they were both soldiers in the King’s militia. After the war, Rogers returned to England where he drank and gambled his way into debtors’ prison, losing his wife and respectability in the process. The seductive lure of British pounds and a thirst for battle brought him back to America on the eve of the Revolutionary War, where he was determined to wipe out Washington’s rebellion and make back his fortune. A wild card operating outside the system, Rogers is as revered as he is feared. His only loyalty: coin.

Series Finale: Episode #TBD
This TV series has not ended yet.First aired: TBD

What do you think? Do you like the Turn TV series? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for another season?

Absolutely keep it! Not only is the show well written, well acted and informative, it has actually given me insight into my ancestor’s lives. For instance, I knew about Guy Fawkes day. It just never occurred to me that it was also a day of celebration in the colonies. I knew
New York was on an island, but I had no feeling of what it was like before the bridges linked it to the mainland. All of the historical views I can recall are that of travelers approaching from the ocean which would be essentially the same today. The view of “York City” as Abe crossed from Long Island was eye-opening – a magnificent 19th century city rising out of the sea. Every episode, I find myself saying “I didn’t know that”. KEEP IT!

Absolutely please renew the show. As a student of history and a former resident of Long Island, the story is spot on. As a young man I read the “Secret Road” (author forgotten) which touched on the intelligence ring commanded by Ben Tallmadge a forgotten hero of the Revolutionary War. It detailed the conflicted colonists who supplied information to Washingtons’ Army and lived along the Jericho Turnpike. Keep up the excellent work…Mr Bill

Please continue and let us complete the story line. This is a one of a kind series that shows strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Even though we know the outcome, the characterizations of the events is most excellent. We enjoy every episode.

This is the best series I have ever seen. I enjoy it so much. Look forward all week long to the next show. All the characters are wonderful actors. Please don’t cancel this show. It is addictive and I love it. Good job AMC channel.